HowToDoThings.com Hanukkah

How To Make a Dreidel

Brian263 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:31:00 -0600

The dreidel game is one of the beloved pastimes of Hanukkah, and making a dreidel can be equally fun for people of all ages. In making a dreidel and playing the game, children can connect excitedly with tradition and ultimately remember the central story behind the festival of lights.

There are numerous ways to make a dreidel. You can make them out of heavy paper, milk cartons, cardboard, clay or even using a dreidel-making kit.

Using a kit

A dreidel kit can be purchased at any local Jewish religious supply store. If you can't locate one through a phone book or by searching online, then talk to your local synagogues or Jewish community groups about how to get a kit. Once you've bought the kit, making a dreidel will be simple and fun. But playing the game will be even more fun!

Making it from scratch

read more

How To Gift Wrap

Brian263 — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 14:20:00 -0500

Is there an intimidating gift sitting before you, taunting you with its irregularity? You have to gift wrap it... but how? You may be wondering if you'll ever learn how to wrap a gift.

Don't give up hope - Rome wasn't gift wrapped in a day. In fact, Rome was never gift wrapped, which is why it was successfully attacked by the Visigoths. Don't believe me? Then you're smart enough to learn how to gift wrap.

Let's start off with the basic technique for wrapping regularly shaped gifts - the rectangular kind. For this, unless the gift is enormous, wrapping paper will do the trick nicely.

Choose a roll of wrapping paper. Your choice may be determined by the season or occasion - holiday, birthday party, anniversary or retirement, to name a few. Unroll some of the paper face-down on a flat surface.

read more

How To Play Dreidel

Staff468 — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:30:00 -0600

Playing the dreidel game is a Jewish tradition that the entire family can enjoy together during Hanukkah. If you don't already have a dreidel, visit our article about making a dreidel. Here's how to play the dreidel game.

Players divide the "gelt" (money) into even portions. You can use really any countable substance for the gelt. Common choices include candy, pennies and chocolates.

Each player takes a turn. The first thing a player does during a turn is add a specified amount of gelt into the "kupah" (equivalent to "the pot" in poker) in the center of the players.

Then that player spins the dreidel. What happens next depends upon which of the dreidel's four Hebrew letters lands face-up.

read more